Daniel Da Prato was named special teams coordinator on Dec. 23, 2019, joining head coach Jeff Scott's first USF football staff. He elevated USF special teams to some of the best in the nation.
On Nov. 6, 2022, he was elevated to interim head coach for the final three games of the 2022 season following Scott being relieved of his duties after a 1-8 start. He guided the Bulls to impressive, near come-from-behind wins at Tulsa (48-42) and vs. No. 25 UCF (46-39) despite USF missing its starting quarterback and numerous starters to injury.
In the War on I-4 battle with UCF, the Bulls fell behind 28-0 with true-freshman Byrum Brown making his second career start at quarterback but put together a furious rally that gave USF the lead, 39-38, with 7:02 to play before a Knight’s touchdown with 20 seconds remaining decided the game.
Da Prato’s special teams were typically strong as sophomore Brian Battie set a USF record with 1,936 all-purpose yards (659 in kickoff returns) to stand first in the AAC and third in the nation. Kick returner Jimmy Horn Jr. posted an 89-yard return for a touchdown in the season-opener vs. No. 25 BYU and averaged 29.9 yards on seven returns. Spencer Shrader went 9-of-13 on field goals, 37-of-37 on points after and launched 50 of his 63 kickoffs (79%) for touchbacks and a 63.0 average.
In 2021, the Bulls were ranked the ninth most efficient special teams unit in the country according to ESPN. He coached freshman Battie to Consensus All-America honors (just the second in program history) as a kick returner in 2021, as Battie led the nation with three kickoff returns for touchdowns (all 100 yards, including an NCAA record-tying two 100-yard returns in the same game) and a USF record 33.9 ypr average that ranked fifth in the nation. Meanwhile, punt returner Xavier Weaver posted a 12.9 ypr average, which would have ranked sixth nationally if he had two more returns, and the Bulls ranked 15th nationally in punt returns. Sophomore kicker Shrader was named a Lou Groza Award semifinalist and finished the year 11-of-13 on field goals, including a career-long 52-yarder and a string of nine-straight makes that ranks fourth all-time in USF history. The Bulls finished the season ranked among the top three in the American Athletic Conference in PAT percentage, field goal percentage, kickoff coverage, kickoff return, and punt return.
He was named co-interim defensive coordinator with Ernie Sims for the final game of USF's 2021 season vs. UCF following the dismissal of defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer. They led a Bulls’ defense that held the Knights to 17 points, 12 first downs and 285 yards, well below their season average, in a close 17-13 loss in Orlando.
Da Prato came to USF after a season at Arkansas in which he served in a quality control position for special teams under head coach Chad Morris and was later promoted to special teams coordinator under interim head coach Barry Lunney Jr. His special teams unit shined in kickoff return coverage in 2019, ranking 10th nationally in the NCAA with only 17.29 yards per return. The Razorbacks also ranked 20th nationally in punt return defense and 26th in the NCAA in punt returns, averaging 11.5 yards per return.
Connor Limpert had a strong season as the field goal kicker for the Razorbacks, going 14-for-19 with a long of 54 yards. On attempts inside 40 yards, Limpert went 7-for-7. In addition, Treylon Burks was named a 2019 All-SEC Second Team Return Specialist after ranking sixth in the league in kickoff return yards per game at 20.5 and eighth in punt return yards per game with 11.8.
Prior to his time at Arkansas, Da Prato spent three seasons at Colorado (2016-18) as director of quality control/offense and also served as a replacement coach on the recruiting trail in December and January of 2017, and again in January 2018. For the Buffaloes, he assisted the offensive coaching staff in its planning and implementation of the weekly practice and game plans. He was also heavily involved in game planning for the special teams units, with a specific area of concentration on punt block and kickoff return.
Colorado produced three different All-Pac-12 receivers in Da Prato’s tenure at Colorado and on special teams the Buffs blocked their first punt in eight seasons in 2017. In 2016, Isaiah Oliver’s 68-yard punt return for a touchdown was the first at CU in 11 years.
Da Prato spent three seasons at Montana State (2013-15) as the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach. He coached a pair of All-Americans while in Bozeman. Tight end Beau Sandland was a second-team AP FCS All-American in 2015 and returner Shawn Johnson was a third-team selection of The Sports Network in 2013. Johnson averaged 31.0 yards on 22 kickoff returns, returning two for touchdowns of 100 and 99 yards, respectively. He also averaged 13.9 yards per punt return, with one touchdown, and ranked fourth nationally in kick returns and fifth in punt returns on the year.
Da Prato spent six seasons at Sacramento State (2007-12), where he coached the receivers all six years and added special teams coaching responsibilities the last three seasons (2010-12). He was on the staff of the Hornets when they visited Folsom Field in 2012 and upset the Buffaloes, 30-28, with a game-winning field goal as time ran out.
In 2008, he guided wide receiver Tony Washington to third-team All-America honors by The Sports Network. Washington, who only played two seasons at Sacramento State, was one of just 11 players in school history to catch over 100 passes on their career. He averaged 73.61 receiving yards per game, ranking third in Hornet history and set a new program season record with 83 receptions in 2008 while his 1,279 receiving yards ranked as the second-most ever by a Hornet.
Da Prato began his coaching career at the University of Louisiana-Monroe, his alma mater, where he served as a graduate assistant for the offense for the 2004-05 seasons and was later promoted to the director of operations and recruiting coordinator in 2006.
Da Prato earned his bachelor’s degree in health & human performance from UL-Monroe in 2003 and later a master’s in education, with an emphasis in instructional technology, in 2004.
He began his college football playing career at New Mexico Highlands University in 2000, where he spent one year as the starting quarterback. He transferred to Chabot (Calif.) Junior College, where he started at quarterback for the 2001 season and earned honorable mention All-Conference honors. Da Prato then concluded his career at UL-Monroe, where he earned two letters playing quarterback. He was an Academic All-Conference team selection at ULM. As a junior in 2002, ULM opened at Mississippi, where Da Prato started at quarterback and played against a secondary coached by Mike MacIntyre.
Da Prato was born Oct. 2, 1981 in Sacramento, Calif., and graduated from Fred C. Beyer High School in Modesto, Calif., where he lettered in football, basketball and track and was an All-District and All-League performer at quarterback on the gridiron.
He is married to the former Giovanna Arrondo. The couple are parents to two daughters, Audrina and Everly.
